Dancing doll toy



Dec. 29, 1936. R. G. TAHSLER DANCING DOLL TOY Filed Oct. 21, 1935 2Sheets-Sheet l I'mvemon ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 29, 1936 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE 4Claims.

This invention relates to toys of'the mechanical type and has for anobject to provide a mechanical toy including figures representingdancing couples which are moved about in a cruciform 5 path by a novelchain drive-and which during such movement will rotate or turn atintervals to simulate the movements of actual couples when dancing.

A further object is to provide a motor driven toy of this characterwhich will be formed of a few strong, simple and durable parts, whichwill be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out oforder.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists ofcertain novel details of construction and combinations of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood thatvarious. modifications may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a toy constructed in accordance with theinvention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the toy with the cover removed to expose theoperating mechanism.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFigure 1 showing a star wheel andv actuating means therefor.

' Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of referencedesignate similar parts in the various views, l deslgITates a base fromwhich rises vertical, side and end walls II and I2, the vertical wallsbeing provided at the top with respective flanges Hi to which a coverplate I4 is secured by means of screws I 5 threaded into suitableopenings I! in the flanges. The cover plate is provided with asubstantially cruciform opening ll, the branches of which are sinuousrather than rectilinear as best shown in cured to the base ill by meansof screws 2| passed through the flange and into the base. The

walls 20 are provided at the top with flanges 22 which support theclosure l8 thereupon and screws 23 are passed through the closure andinto the flanges 22 to secure the parts together.

A plurality of sprocket gears 24 are mounted to idle on respective posts25 secured to the base by screws 26. Certain of the posts are secured atthe upper ends to the closure by screws 21 while the remainder aresecured to the cover plate by screws 28. Sprocket gears 24 thus aredisposed at the ends of the arms of the closure and at the spacesbetween the arms as best shown in Figures 1 and 2. A sprocket chain 29is trained over the outer sides of the gears at the ends ofthe arms ofthe closure and over .this' chain directly underlies and conforms to'thecurvature of the sinuous slot 19.

The sprocket chain isequipped with pins. 30

at four equally spaced points and'these pins rise through the slot is.Starwheels 3| are provided.

with hubs 32 which are loosely fitted over associated pins 30 so thateach star wheel is free to turn on the associated pin as a verticalaxis. As best shown in Figure 3 dancing couples33 in the form of dollsare mounted on the star wheels.

An electric motor 34 is mounted on the base l0 and is connected by achain drive 35 to a shaft 36 which is mounted in a bearing 31 that risesfrom the base Ill. The shaft is equipped with a bevel pinion 38 whichmeshes with a bevel gear 39 that is fixed to the hub of one of thesprocket gears 24. Whenthe motor is started the sprocket chain 29 willbe caused to travel below the slot I 9 and will move the star wheels 3|along the slot. For causing the star wheels to rotate and thusfilimllate turning of the dancing couples at spaeed intervals duringtravel along the slot IS, a plurality of abutments 40, preferably fourin number, are arranged around the ends of the arms of the closure l8and extend in an are on the cover plate ll, said are being concentricwith the post 25' which supports the adjacent sprocket wheel 24 at theend of the closure arm as best shown in Figure 1. Consequently, as eachstarwheel progresses along the slot I 9 the arms of the star wheel willbe struck in sequence by the four abutments near the end of each arm ofthe cruciform closure so that the star wheel will make a completerevolution. As there are four arms to the closure it each star wheel andthe associated dolls thereon will make a complete turn while being movedaround the periphery of the end of each arm of the closure so that tourcomplete turns will be made during each cycle or complete circuit of theslot l9. For ornamentation pennants H are disposed on the tops of theabutments 40 so that the abutments are flag poles.

Flag poles 42 are arranged at the four corners of the cover plate andare provided with pennants 43. At each corner of the cover platepreferably a miniature table 44 is supported upon a standard 45 whichrises from the cover plate and at the table two dolls 46 are seated inminiature chairs .1, to simulate persons watching the dancers. v

In operation the motor is started to feed the chain 29 along the idlingsprocket gears 24 and advance the star wheels 3| progressively aroundthe cruciform sinuous slot l9. As each star wheel in successionencounters the series oi! four abutments or flag poles at the end ofeach arm of the slot, the star wheel will be rotated through a completeturn and the dancing dolls thereon turned accordingly to simulate theturns made by the dancing couples at the corners of a dance floor.

From the above description it is thought that the construction andoperation of the invention will be fully understood without furtherexplanation.

What-is claimed is:

1. A dancing doll toy comprising a support, a plurality of star wheelson the support, dolls in couples in waltz position on the star wheels,an endless carrier on the support mounting the star wheels atpredetermined intervals apart, means for moving the endless carrier toadvance the star wheels progressively in a sinuous path on the support,and upstanding pins on the support intercepting' the spokes of the starwheels and rotating the star wheels on their axes through one revolutionat predetermined points in the path of travel of the star wheels.

2. A dancing doll toy comprising a support, a plurality of sprocketwheels on the support arranged in the form of a rectangle, means forrotating one of the sprocket wheels, a sprocket chain trained around theouter side of certain of the sprocket wheels and around the inner sidesof others of the sprocket wheels, whereby the sprocket chain assumes acruciform shape, a

cover tor the support having a slot of the same shapev as the sprocketchain and exposing the sprocket chain, revoluble star wheels mounted onthe sprocket chain at spaced intervals and extending above the cover,dolls in couples in waltz through a complete revolution to simulatewaltz turns being made by the dancing couples of dolls,

3. A dancing doll toy comprising a hollow support, a plurality ofsprocket wheels concealed between the top and the bottom of the support,an endless sprocket chain trained over said sprocket wheels in acruciform path, a motor on the supports. connected to one of thesprocket wheels for driving said chain, there being a cruciform slot inthe top of the support exposing the chain, pins on the chain and spacedat intervals apart'i'ormingaxles, star wheels having hubs loose on saidaxles, dollsin couples in waltz position on the star wheels, andstationary pins on the top of the supportat'the ends of the arms of thecruciform chain intercepting the spokes of the star wheels and rotatingthe star wheels through a complete revolution to simulate waltz turnsbeing made by the dancing couples while being moved around the peripheryof the ends of the 'arms of the cruciform chain.v

4. A dancing doll toy comprising a support, an endless sprocket chain,sprocket wheels arranged in the form of a rectangle, the sprocket chainbeing trained over the sprocket wheels in a cruciform path, meansoperatively connected to one of the sprocket wheels for driving thesprocket chain in a cruciform path, a cover on the sup-- port concealingthe sprocket wheels and having a cruiciform slot exposing the chain,star wheels disposed at intervals along the chain and exposed above saidcover, the star wheels being adapted to turn on their axes, dolls incouples in waltz position on the star wheels, pins on the cover locatedon an arc concentric with the loop formed by the end oi each arm of thecruciform slot and adapted to intercept an advancing star wheel andimpart a complete revolution to the star wheel during its progressaround said loop whereby to simulate waltz turns being made by thedancing couple on the star wheel.

RICHARD G. TAHSLER.

